
This study investigates the flexural strengthening of ageing prestressed concrete beams with unbonded tendons using externally bonded FRP. While FRP effectively mitigates the detrimental effects of ageing—such as prestress losses and reduced stiffness—by enhancing cracking and ultimate resistance, the research reveals that aged, strengthened beams still exhibit lower overall performance compared to new ones. Key findings highlight a critical vulnerability to premature FRP debonding and significant reductions in deformability, providing essential insights for the rehabilitation of ageing infrastructure.
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